Dr. Neal Peres Da Costa specializes in performance on historical keyboard instruments of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. He lectures at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in the Musicology and Keyboard units and is Chair of the Early Music Unit. After graduating from the University of Sydney with first class honors BMus., Neal attained a Postgraduate Diploma in Early Music from the Guildhall School of Music and a Master in Music Performance from the City University in London. In 2002, he attained a PhD from the University of Leeds, where he researched performing practices in late 19th-century piano playing with particular reference to early recordings. His book, Off the Record, a study of 19^th century piano performance practice, was recently published by Oxford University Press, and was cited as a “New Book of Interest” on Alex Ross’ music blog, TheRestIsNoise.com. Neal joined the faculty at the Conservatorium as a full time member in 2005, after spending many years as Professor of Fortepiano at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he was also a Lecturer in Performance Practice. He also held the post of Lecturer in 19th-Century Performing Practice for of the Masters Degree at Trinity College in London. In 2000 Peres Da Costa was Artist in Residence at Bretton Hall College at the University of Leeds. Neal was co-founder of Florilegium, an internationally renowned period instrument ensemble with which he performed around the world and made many award-winning recordings. He has also performed with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Australis, Orchestra of the Antipodes, Pinchgut Opera, and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.